HUD Southeast Regional Administrator and Macon Bibb County Mayor Announce Initiative to Extend High Speed Broadband Access for Students in HUD-Assisted Housing
ConnectHome to Launch in Macon and 26 other Communities Nation-wide

Local area youth and audience listening intently to the ConnectHome announcement.

ATLANTA - HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. and Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert today joined community and civic leaders in Macon to announce the extension of extended high speed broadband access for students of the Macon Housing Authority building on the Obama Administration's ConnectHome (http://connecthome.hud.gov/) initiative to expand high speed broadband to families living in HUD-assisted housing.

"By connecting local HUD assisted housing families and students to high-speed internet, we help expand their ability to access educational tools, health care services, employment opportunities, and resources to apply for college and financial-aid, said Jennings. "This is all about providing opportunity and hope for the future of America."

"We are moving more and more towards a time when having high-speed access to the internet will be vital to the success and sustainability of our communities," says Mayor Reichert. "Already more and more college and job applications are being done online, and we must provide our children the tools to access them. I commend the school district for making it available in the classrooms, and now we must work with our partners to make it available at home."

President Obama and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro announced on July 15, 2015, ConnectHome, a national initiative to extend affordable broadband access to families living in HUD-assisted housing. Through ConnectHome, Internet Service Providers, non-profits and the private sector will offer broadband access, technical training, digital literacy programs, and devices for residents in assisted housing units in 28 communities across the nation.

HUD SE Regional Administrator Jennings addressing the audience at the Family Investment Center - Macon Public Housing Authority.

The President and HUD Secretary Julián Castro announced that HUD selected Macon and the following twenty-six cities and one tribal nation to participate in ConnectHome:
Albany, GA; Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Baton Rouge, LA; Boston, MA; Camden, NJ; Choctaw Nation, OK; Cleveland, OH; Denver, CO; Durham, NC; Fresno, CA; Kansas City, MO; Little Rock, AR; Los Angeles, CA;; Memphis, TN; Meriden, CT; Nashville, TN; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Newark, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Rockford, IL; San Antonio, TX; Seattle, WA; Springfield, MA; Tampa, FL; and Washington, DC.

HUD selected Macon and the other communities through a competitive process that took into account local commitment to expanding broadband opportunities; presence of place-based programs; and other factors to ensure all are well-positioned to deliver on ConnectHome.

Eight nationwide Internet Service Providers including; Cox Communications, Google Fiber, Cherokee Communications, Pine Telephone, Suddenlink Communications, Vyve Broadband, CenturyLink, and Sprint have announced they are partnering with mayors, public housing authorities, non-profit groups, and for-profit entities to bridge the gap in digital access for students living in assisted housing units.

Additionally, skills training are essential to effectively taking advantage of all the Internet offers. HUD is collaborating with The James M. Cox Foundation, a Cox Communications-affiliated Foundation, Best Buy, GitHub, College Board, in partnership with Khan Academy, 80/20 Foundation, Age of Learning, Inc., The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), The American Library Association, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and the Durant Independent School District to offer new technical training and digital literacy programs for residents in assisted housing units.

Today's announcement marks a major step in providing Macon and these communities across the nation tools to improve digital opportunity for HUD-assisted housing residents. ConnectHome establishes a platform for collaboration between local governments, members of private industry, nonprofit organizations, and other interested entities to produce locally-tailored solutions for narrowing the digital divide.

Local area youth, HUD SE Regional Administrator Jennings, Mayor Reichert, Lynne Murphey of Cox Communications, Mike Kemp, Asst School Superintendent, community leaders and teachers.

HUD is also taking major steps to provide communities across the nation tools to improve digital opportunity for its residents. Today, Secretary Castro announced that HUD will:

• Begin rulemaking that requires HUD-funded new residential construction and substantial rehabilitation projects to support broadband internet connectivity.
• Provide communities with the flexibility to spend portions of their Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grants on local broadband initiatives and associated connectivity enhancements, including approximately $150 million dedicated to the current competition.
• Begin rulemaking to include broadband planning as a component of the Consolidated Planning process, which serves as a framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and municipal development priorities.
• Supply guidance and share best practices with HUD-funded grantees on how to more effectively utilize HUD funding to support broadband connectivity.
• Integrate digital literacy programming and access to technology into related initiatives.

For more information and a complete listing of private sector commitments for ConnectHome please visit HUD's website.

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